Antwone Rodgers, an alum and former football coach at Abington Senior High School, is suing Abington Township and members of its police department for allegedly striking him in the arm with a stray bullet that came from the police department’s gun range.
According to the federal filing, the bullet struck him in the arm during a team practice on August 7, 2023, though it did not penetrate his body.
Rodgers, 41, said he heard gunshots during the practice before feeling “an intense burning and pain in his right wrist and forearm,” the suit said, noting that he looked down to see a projectile on the ground.
Terence Tolbert, team’s head coach at the time, then cleared the field and notified Abington police. A responding officer “verbally confirmed that the bullet was from the police shooting range,” the suit said. Rodgers was treated at a nearby urgent care and had to return a week later “due to ongoing swelling, pain, and contusion of his right write and forearm.”
The lawsuit alleges that Abington Township officials “had knowledge of previous similar incidents or complaints regarding the unsafe operation of the gun range, and despite such knowledge, failed to take adequate remedial measures.”
The suit also mentions the football game between Abington and Cheltenham, during which a juvenile male was arrested for carrying an illegal gun. Rodgers allegedly had a panic attack and was sent to Holy Redeemer Hospital’s emergency room. He was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to require treatment.
“As a result of the shooting incident, Plaintiff has suffered significant physical, emotional, and psychological injuries,” the suit says. “Among Plaintiff’s diagnosed physical injuries is entrapment of the superficial branch of the radial nerve, an injury for which surgical intervention has been recommended.”
Michael P. Clarke, the solicitor for Abington Township, declined to comment on the suit following a request by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rodgers played football for La Salle University and Minor League Football teams following his graduation from Abington High.
The lawsuit is below:
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